Victory for Trans Youth: Court Quashes Trump DOJ’s Subpoena to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | | |
In a major victory for transgender youth and their families represented by the Public Interest Law Center and our pro bono co-counsel at Ballard Spahr, a federal court has quashed the Trump Department of Justice’s subpoena seeking personal medical records of young patients who received care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
In June, the Trump Administration sought years’ worth of medical records of every patient who received gender-affirming care at children’s hospitals around the country, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). These medical records are the most intimate kind these young patients have, detailing their mental health, reproductive health, and sexual health along with personally identifying information, such as their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers.
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital sought to quash the parts of the subpoena which sought that sensitive information. In September, young patients and their parents, represented by the Public Interest Law Center and Ballard Spahr, filed their own motion urging the court to quash the subpoena, arguing that the subpoena was issued in bad faith and invaded children’s right to privacy. A few days later, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, we filed a motion to quash the identical subpoena issued to UPMC.
Now, the court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has ruled in Children’s Hospital’s favor, finding that:
- the children’s records concern lawful medical practice under Pennsylvania law
- the government lacks statutory authority for a rambling exploration of the hospital’s files to learn the names and medical treatment of children
- the patients’ constitutional right to privacy substantially outweighed the government’s supposed reasons for needing the records
- the Trump administration employed “wayward reasoning” and shifting rationale throughout the course of the litigation
Because the court ruled in Children Hospital’s favor, it had no need to rule on the motion filed by the patients, dismissing it as moot.
“This is a critical win for everyone who believes healthcare decisions should be made in doctors’ offices, not the White House,” said legal director Mimi McKenzie. “In a sweeping rebuke of DOJ, the court rejected the government’s overreach and saw its conduct for what it is: an effort to invade the privacy rights of vulnerable children and their parents in order to intimidate them. Our Constitution does not allow that. We are pleased that the rule of law prevailed.”
Read the opinion here.
We continue to await a decision in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In the meantime, UPMC has confirmed that it has not turned over to the federal government any of the patient medical records requested by the subpoena.
| | PA State Budget Delivers a Win for Students | | |
After a months-long delay, Pennsylvania lawmakers finally passed a state budget that continues the Commonwealth’s progress toward meeting the funding commitments required under the landmark Commonwealth Court ruling in our school funding lawsuit mandating adequate and equitable funding for public schools.
“The era of one-off, ad hoc education budgets is over,” said Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, Senior Attorney at the Public Interest Law Center. “This budget shows bipartisan consensus that the march to constitutional school funding is not optional. It took too long, but we moved one year closer to a system that will transform lives.”
This work is far from finished. Lawmakers have committed to a path to fully funded public schools, but that constitutional mandate remains years from completion. Getting there will require sustained increases so that schools can provide the resources that matter to students – quality professionals, modern technology, up-to-date curriculum, and safe, appropriate buildings. And it will require lawmakers to make progress faster.
However, by continuing to close the funding gaps that public schools have long grappled with, we move from promise to implementation: from the acknowledgement of something fundamentally wrong, to the actual solution.
| | Court Upholds Pittsburgh’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance | | |
A federal judge issued a significant victory for our clients and the people of Pittsburgh by dismissing a challenge to Pittsburgh’s inclusionary zoning ordinance. The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (BAMP) is a special-interest group that has repeatedly opposed fair and affordable housing measures. BAMP sought to block enforcement of the ordinance, even as Pittsburgh faces a deepening affordable housing shortage that disproportionately harms Black and low-income residents.
The Public Interest Law Center and our co-counsel filed an amicus brief on behalf of six local nonprofit community organizations, arguing that the ordinance does not violate the U.S. Constitution or Pennsylvania law and that enjoining the ordinance would be against the public interest in light of Pittsburgh’s affordable housing crisis.
The court ruled that BAMP’s claims were not ripe and that BAMP lacked standing to assert its claims, noting that neither BAMP nor its members had shown that the ordinance had been applied to their properties or caused any measurable injury. Because BAMP and its members lacked standing, the court declined to consider their attempt to undermine a policy designed to expand affordable, stable housing opportunities in neighborhoods such as Oakland.
The ruling preserves an important tool for addressing Pittsburgh’s severe housing crisis, which includes a dearth of thousands of affordable units, sharp increases in housing costs, and worsening racial and economic segregation. This decision reaffirms the public’s strong interest in equitable, inclusive housing policies.
Read the opinion here.
| | Spanish Language Vacant Land 215 with Norris Square Neighborhood Project | | |
Our Vacant Land 215 workshops serve as a first step for land stewards interested in preserving gardens and green spaces in their neighborhoods, which is why we’re excited to expand the opportunity to even more Philadelphians with Spanish language trainings!
We collaborated with Norris Square Neighborhood Project to host this event in their beautiful Las Parcelas garden. We hope that making these workshops even more accessible will kick off the pursuit of land security for even more Philly gardeners.
You can also read here about how the Public Interest Law Center is working to preserve a community stronghold at Las Parcelas.
| | Legal Director Mimi McKenzie Selected as Philadelphia Bar Association’s 2025 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Award Recipient | | |
We are proud to announce that our legal director, Mimi McKenzie, is the 2025 recipient of the Sandra Day O'Connor Award!
The Philadelphia Bar Association’s Sandra Day O'Connor Award was named in honor of the first woman to serve as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and is given annually to an outstanding female attorney in the Philadelphia area. The recipient is expected to have achieved the highest degree of professional excellence in her field over a sustained period and openly and visibly used her position and stature in the community to mentor, promote and advance other female lawyers.
Mimi embodies the very best of Justice O’Connor’s legacy, pairing extraordinary legal brilliance with tireless grit, deep integrity, and a heartfelt commitment to serving her community. Over a remarkable career spanning private practice, nonprofit leadership, and landmark civil rights litigation, she has worked to transform institutions, safeguard democracy, and lead with humility, courage, and unfailing compassion. She lifts everyone around her—offering opportunities to fellow women lawyers, nurturing colleagues through demanding seasons, and inspiring trust through her impeccable judgment and generous spirit. In every role, Mimi brings unwavering devotion to the people and causes she serves, improving everything she touches with her singular blend of intellect, leadership, and heart.
She will be presented with the award at the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Annual Meeting on December 10.
If you would like to make a donation to the Law Center in honor of Mimi receiving this award, click here, check the box indicating that your donation is in honor of someone, and type Mimi’s name in the form.
| | H.O.M.E. Plan Advances in City Council | The Law Center Receives the “Partner of the Year” Award from the Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association | The Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association presented the Law Center with its Partner of the Year Award at its annual holiday party and officer transition on December 4, 2025, recognizing our work in support of the LGBTQ community, including gender non-conforming and transgender young people. We were honored to receive this award! | |
Help Us Reach Our End of Year Fundraising Goal! | |
Thank you to everyone who contributed on Giving Tuesday and throughout the year. This giving season, we’re reminded of how much is at stake as federal protections are rolled back.
With your support, we’re stepping in to defend fair school funding, voting rights, economic equity, healthcare access, environmental justice, and fair housing. Together, we can continue safeguarding the rights and opportunities our communities deserve.
| Click here to hear what the Law Center staff is grateful for this year. | | The Law Center in the News... | | |
UPMC has not turned over transgender patient records to the Justice Department– The Tribune
“We are pleased to learn that UPMC has not turned over any patient medical records. Nor should they,” said Mimi McKenzie, the legal director for the Public Interest Law Center, which has been advocating against the subpoenas. “The government cannot rifle through the most intimate details of a child’s life for no reason other than spite and intimidation.”
Public Education Advocates Breathe a Sigh of Relief After Pennsylvania Legislature Finally Passes a Budget – Bucks County Beacon
“It took too long, but we moved one year closer to a system that will transform lives,” Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg said. “This work is far from over.”
Court declines to halt inclusionary zoning in Pittsburgh, ending three-year legal fight– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Builders’ Association, Judge Colville argued, failed to prove that its members will be “irreparably harmed” if the policy is not paused right away.
GSK Celebrates 2025 IMPACT Award Winners – GSK US
GSK is honoring 20 nonprofits for their outstanding contributions to improving health in the Triangle (North Carolina) and Greater Philadelphia regions. The 20 GSK IMPACT Award winners (10 per region) are receiving $50,000 each to build their capacity and support their organizations’ missions to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in their local communities.
‘We have set money on fire’: Pennsylvania budget impasse costs Philadelphia school district millions – Chalkbeat Philadelphia
“Our schools need every dollar that we give them,” said Dan Urevick-Ackelsber, who was involved in the legal case challenging the state’s funding formula that culminated in the 2023 court ruling. “And we have set money on fire.”
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| | The official registration and financial information of the Public Interest Law Center may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. | | | | |
